The strings of a guitar are anchored near the lowermost end of the guitar body by a tailpiece. Occasionally, this tailpiece function is served by a vibrato, or tremolo, which is a piece of equipment designed to produce a unique sound effect similar to a singer's vibrato.
Vibrato mechanisms provide a means for changing the tension on all the strings of a guitar simultaneously. Changing the tension creates a pitch change in each vibrating string. This is accomplished by a moving tailpiece which pivots about an axis substantially perpendicular to the strings. A handle is provided to facilitate a pulse-like pivoting of the tailpiece while simultaneously playing the instrument.
There are numerous examples of vibrato devices and like mechanisms in the prior art. Three of these, which characterize the genre, are U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,236 to Rose, U.S. Pat. No. 4,632,005 to Steinberger, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,457,821 to McCarty et al. The latter patent is progenitor to what is now known as the Bigsby® family of vibrato devices, arguably the preferred choice for both after-market and factory-installed devices of this type.
Bigsby vibrato devices are installed on top of the guitar in an original equipment installation, or after removing an existing tailpiece in an after-market installation. The installation procedure is to string the strings over a pivoting metal bar, called the string bar, which is a component of the vibrato mechanism. Pins project from the string bar to connect with the strings by threading through a hole in the ball-end of each string. The pins, however, are oriented at a downward and forward angle, such that the wires have to be bent approximately 315° around the string bar. The pins must be in this attitude in order to prevent the strings from slipping off the pins when the bar is pivoted to lighten the string tension and create the desired pitch change. Assembling the strings, however, can be an awkward process. The pin is approached from a blind side and from underneath the bar, below which a minimal clearance for finger manipulation is afforded. As a result, the installer must grope in tight space to pin a tiny hole, and often the process is hit or miss. A simplified means for connecting the strings would shorten the installation time and save frustration on the part of the installer. It would also make it easier for a musician having to change a string.
The range of pitch change is limited both by the radius of rotation of a vibrato device and the degree of articulation about its axis of rotation. Because a Bigsby vibrato mounts to the surface, and does not require the routing of a nesting location in the body of a guitar, its profile is relatively shallow. As a consequence, the range of a Bigsby is essentially limited by the radius of the string bar. This characteristic suits musicians who prefer slow, subtle, or extended blends, but even these musicians would benefit from a broader range, preferred by other musicians, for a choice to increase the sound dynamic.
The present invention improves upon the widely-used Bigsby vibrato design. It to addresses the aforementioned deficiencies, namely finicky installation and limited range, by providing a novel, universal and inexpensive bracket as an adjunct piece of equipment.